Mazda 3 just reached 300,000 miles
- Thread starter Nav45
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Get's driven everyday with the rare exception.
It's a 2008 Mazda 3 2.0 A/T.
I do have a kit but have been kind of lazy. I will try to do it soon. It's just cosmetically looking dull but performs just fine. The look of the car will definitely improve once the headlights look clear.
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I change it around 70K-80K miles.
Oh that's pretty bad since I'm sure the car could've ran for a lot longer than that. Even though it does not snow much here I have small rust spots on the trunk. I'm guessing water must've collected there and caused it. Your rust issues seem to be shared by quite a bit of the Mazdas. Not sure if the modern ones will hold up better.
The lights will work better with polished lenses.
Yeah, this car was disintegrating each time I looked at it. The rocker panels were the worst part but, others that I've seen in my area looked just as bad in the rockers and quarter panels and the trunk around the 3rd brake light. I haven't owned(my daughter owned it) a car that rusted this fast & this badly since my '72 LTD in light mint green & RUST. And we keep our cars well into their teens easily and never nearly this much rust/falling apart. I'm sure Mazda has done a better job on their vehicles lately.
I had a Mazda 3 once exactly like the Galaxy Gray one shown.
Anyway, I did 5k oil changes on Mobil 1 5w-30 and it was happy. My suggestion on repairs:
Scan the codes for the airbag light. Most likely it is the clock-spring on the drives' side steeringwheel because you have used the hell out of it in 300k miles. If that is what it is, know it is super easy to change on that vehicle. I know that because I once changed my steering wheel to address wear. You can probably get a Clockspring for $60 to $80 if that is what you need. It will take 30 minutes to change and you don't need to index the steering wheel because there is like a hex bolt, so it is notched.
For the paint, just touch-up the rust spots. Where it is faded, sand with some 800 grit sand paper then clear coat those panels with a 2k clear like SrpayMax. Wear a respirator and do it in the garage. An N95 mask is NOT enough. It won't look beautiful, but it will look better than it does not not rust.
Just buy a new headlight. The one that is not foggy can then be polished, so they both look crystal clear and match..
Regarding the TPMS sensors, Discount Tire or American Tire sells sensors for your vehicle for $60. They do NOT charge for the installation or pairing if you are a typical customer of theirs. Otherwise, they will still do it for at most $20 per tire. Let's just say $300 fixes your TPMS problems for 7+ years.
$200 fixes all of your cosmetic issues and your airbag issue if you do the work yourself.
Get the suspension issue diagnosed and corrected. If parts are replaced, do the entire rear and pay for an alignment after. It's worth $500 to $700 to not have a car payment if you plan to drive it another 100,000 miles.
Anyway, I did 5k oil changes on Mobil 1 5w-30 and it was happy. My suggestion on repairs:
Scan the codes for the airbag light. Most likely it is the clock-spring on the drives' side steeringwheel because you have used the hell out of it in 300k miles. If that is what it is, know it is super easy to change on that vehicle. I know that because I once changed my steering wheel to address wear. You can probably get a Clockspring for $60 to $80 if that is what you need. It will take 30 minutes to change and you don't need to index the steering wheel because there is like a hex bolt, so it is notched.
For the paint, just touch-up the rust spots. Where it is faded, sand with some 800 grit sand paper then clear coat those panels with a 2k clear like SrpayMax. Wear a respirator and do it in the garage. An N95 mask is NOT enough. It won't look beautiful, but it will look better than it does not not rust.
Just buy a new headlight. The one that is not foggy can then be polished, so they both look crystal clear and match..
Regarding the TPMS sensors, Discount Tire or American Tire sells sensors for your vehicle for $60. They do NOT charge for the installation or pairing if you are a typical customer of theirs. Otherwise, they will still do it for at most $20 per tire. Let's just say $300 fixes your TPMS problems for 7+ years.
$200 fixes all of your cosmetic issues and your airbag issue if you do the work yourself.
Get the suspension issue diagnosed and corrected. If parts are replaced, do the entire rear and pay for an alignment after. It's worth $500 to $700 to not have a car payment if you plan to drive it another 100,000 miles.
In addition, this particular Mazda3 was primarily driven in PA where they use less salt in the winter time. Not that PA doesn't use salt, just not the amount used in W NY State. And I could still put my fist in the holes in the rocker panels.
Suggestion for the airbag: was your vehicle recalled for the Takata airbag campaign? If you aren't the original owner, you would not have been notified by Mazda. Check your VIN with Mazda, and you may get a free replacement. For motor oil, I'd continue with the brand you've been using, but in a high mileage flavor. It can't hurt.
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